Like all remote projects, the team on the ground is the most important element of the entire process.

The earnest money is an issue within the element of consideration.

Your major issues would likely be the siding not doing it's job, with is keeping the elements away from untreated wood and materials. 

Here in California you can get hit with traffic impact fees, environmental mitigation, park fees, etc. so you want to know exactly what is going to be required. 

In particular, what is considered common elements, and what is considered legally yours. 

I graduated from Texas A&M University in 2004 with a degree in Architecture, Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design to be exact.  

FEMA could prevent development, it could have environmental problems, easements might make development impossible, zoning could prohibit anything getting built on that size, etc.  

. : $(15k-20k) ~I see a lot of delta here between a potential final asking price and a total project cost.All in all, I think that there is a market for this type of modern, "environmentally friendly" type of home, and I've seen news-stories on successful storage container homes that were built in Denver.Should I believe all of the hype, or am I drinking too much kool-aid?

You can NEVER remove and or discount the human element from the court room. 

You may want to check for flood plain issues and possibly have a phase 1 environmental study as well.